'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎430v] (871/1386)

4
(he same dev the expedition under General Deiamain crossed the bar of the
Mum and anchored. On the 7th the expedition reached. Ahadan 1 ■ i f
Vts U'l ‘ilTair of outposts on the 11th. On the loth Oen^ini .j u 1 ■
•u rived at die mouth of the Shatt-el-Arab avith the 18th Brigade and
some artillery and cavalry, and on the.l5th ^ la “ a,n * 1 ,* 1 ' , £ < °\ "itereU
•oid drove back the enemy from Sainan. On the i/tnbu A. \ ,n
advanced on Zain with two Brigades and found the enemy strong.^
entrenched at that point. The position was held by about 4 v j()0 men wit ^
j 9 o im s The Turks made aresolute defence, but were driven fiom \(:u
entrenchments with the loss of several guns. This success was decisive
The Turks hastily abandoned Basra, which was occupied by our troops on
* ' 'Cbm\mestfge ? was restored. A position of great strategical importance
bad been secured with little loss. The friendly Arabs were conhrmed,
least for the time being, in their loyal attitude, and tno ml works a,
Abadan had been saved from destruction, bo far our policy had bee.i
fuilv iustilied by events, while the secrecy and suddenness o om mot --
nients had not only ensured success, but had done so at the smallest
possible cost to ourselves.
g ,\ s n.ay be ur^ed that even eom])lete success at this initial stage
did 'not justify the despatch of the Expedition, and that we were on y
wastino- our energy and resources in a subsidiary issue, it is nijjoi aiu <
consider the probable trend of events if no such enterprise had been
undertaken, in that case it is certain that Arabia, would _ have abandoned
all hope of liberation from Turkish rule and perforce have joined the enenu •
'I'lie proclamation of jehad would have been endor eu by the htiei if o
Mecca and the standard of Islam would have been raised against us
throughout the East. Persia would have iollowed suit and iurko-tuumail
intrigues in that country would have met with immediate an<l popu at
resnonse A wave of fanaticism would have quickly engu led Afghanistan,
and on the Indian frontier the- movement would have been hailed wUr
all the eager enthusiasm that prospects of easy 1 loot inspiie m haibanc
Such a development would have, meant war on a prodigious scale all
alon' r tlie Indian Frontier, as well as a dangerous internal situation withm
India. Instead of continuing to send important forces to Europe, Eg}pt,
East Africa and the Colonies, we might have been compelled to recall some
of our troops and even to demand assistance irom home. Our military
resouTces would have been gravely strained at a most critical period I he
metiaeo to Eovpt, also, would have been immeasurably more serious than it
,,f ua l] v was°as all Islam from the Nile to the Sahara would nave been
deeolv'stirrod by the participation of Arabia im the war. Incidentally ol
course we should have lost our extremely valuable" stake in the Gd lields,
while British interests, both commercial and political would have been
obliterated from the whole of the Middle East. I lie Mesopotamian-
vf-nture at least saved us from all these untoward results miring perhaps
the most critical period of the war. In that simple fact lies the justihcatiou
of the expedition.
1&- TFh// we went on to Kama and the Karlin \ alien.
q ptre canture of‘ Basra was quickly followed by that <T Fiona, d la
,. ons ' on for tliis,move is Jmmix explained in my .Minute of tiie 27th November
j <) i G oi which the following is an extract:
‘ s Th6*oJ)i‘vt of ffoing to KMvna is to secure a strong strategical point and a dominating
Dosd ion It will be seen'from the map that Kurna is at the junction of the oul channel c. ho
w Ses audTicrris.and that it cover, and controls all the neh cu m uted land along the
iZ WlHMi we lea 'e Kurna we enter the arid country which lies between d and Amara.
- ffniliU position is extraordinarily strong, for both Hanks are praette^y unassadab e
Otl thlfi-bt there are Phe marshes of the Khor IfhwarAe which trend npe awu> to-tm
Persian frontieip while on the left there is the huplirates.